The invention relates to an energy guiding chain comprising chain links that are open at the front and connected to one another in articulated fashion, each of which comprises two side elements, whereby at least one chain link comprises a first connector at its side elements for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to a front side of said link about a first axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chain, and a second connector for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to the other front side about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chain.
Energy guiding chains of this kind are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,476. The chains described in this document consist of chain links with a U-shaped cross-section, the open side walls of which can be opened and closed with the help of covers, where the covers of all chain links are located on one and the same side of the energy guiding chain. After opening the covers, the lines can easily be inserted or removed on the respective side of the energy guiding chain.
At least one section of the known energy guiding chain consists of two different, alternating basic types of chain link. The first basic type has openings on its side elements for articulated connection to the adjacent second basic type on one front side and pins on the cover and on the wall opposite the cover for articulated connection to the adjacent second basic type on the other front side. Accordingly, the second basic type has pins on its side elements which engage the openings in the first basic type and openings on its cover and the wall opposite the cover which are engaged by the pins of the first basic type.
Due to the U-shaped profile of the chain links of the known energy guiding chain, several layers of lines are usually arranged between the cover and the opposite wall. Thus, the lines adjacent to the wall opposite the cover are not easily accessible and can only be extracted after removing the lines above them.
The object of the invention is to simplify access to the lines inside an energy guiding chain of the type described at the beginning.
According to the invention, the object is solved by an energy guiding chain comprising chain links open at an end face connected to one another in articulated fashion, each of which links comprises two side elements, wherein at least one chain link comprises a first connector at its side elements for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to the end face of said link about a first axis transverse to a longitudinal direction of the chain, the side elements of the link being connected by a center web and having openable outside webs, the center web comprising a second connector for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to another end face about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chain, and other chain links having respective center webs and respective openable outside webs, where the respective openable outside webs are located on the same opposite sides of the chain.
As a result of the design according to the invention, the lines inside the energy guiding chain are arranged in two areas that are only roughly half as deep as on the known energy guiding chains and each of which extends from the center web to one of the two outside webs. As a result of the openable outside webs, the lines in these areas are easier to access and can thus be removed without extensively manipulating the other lines.
Moreover, connection of the side elements by means of center webs has proven to increase stability compared to a chain with a U-shaped cross-section, this being particularly advantageous when the chain is subject to major manipulation when inserting or removing the lines.
The outside webs of the chain links can have any number of designs that permit the respective side of the energy guiding chain to be opened far enough to allow lines to be inserted into and removed from the areas between the center web and the outside webs. For example, at least one end of the outside webs can be connected to the side elements in detachable fashion. In another configuration, the outside webs can be mounted on the side elements such that they can be swung open.
In a particularly simple configuration, the outside webs can be integrally molded on the side elements and have openings roughly in the middle, so that they can be opened by bending. In this case, the outside straps have web segments that are each integrally molded on the side elements, whose ends can overlap, for example. The web segments can be at the same height in this context, where the end of one web segment can extend underneath the end of the other web segment via a stepped recess. The web segments can also be at different heights.
The opening that separates the two web segments from one another preferably runs in the longitudinal direction of the chain and is as narrow as possible, so that the lines can easily be inserted or removed by bending the ends of the web segments away from one another, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the chain.
In a preferred configuration of the invention, the side elements of the chain link are of cranked design, each having an inwardly cranked strap section and an outwardly cranked strap section. The openable outside webs expediently extend between the outwardly cranked strap sections of the opposite side elements of the chain link.
In one embodiment of a chain link of this kind, the center web extends between the inwardly cranked strap sections of the opposite side elements, where the first connector is located on the outwardly cranked strap sections.
In this context, the first connector can comprise openings in the outwardly cranked strap sections and the second connector of a pin integrally molded on the center web.
In another embodiment, the center web extends between the outwardly cranked strap sections of the opposite side elements of the chain link, where the first connector is located on the inwardly cranked strap sections.
In this context, the first connector can comprise pins integrally molded on the strap sections that extend from inside the chain towards the outside, and the second connector of an opening provided in the center web.
In particular, the energy guiding chain according to the invention can have at least one first chain link according to the first embodiment described above, and at least one second chain link according to the second embodiment described above, the front sides of which can be connected to one another in articulated fashion. This means that the first and second connectors of the two chain links are each designed such that, when the two chain links are properly assembled, they form an articulated connection about the first or second axis.
By connecting at least one first and one second chain link in the chain, the range of curvature of the chain can be increased in the three spatial dimensions. If several first and second chain links are connected in alternating fashion, it is possible to make the curvature of the chain longer and tighter in this area.
The side elements of the first and second chain links can be designed such that, no matter how the two chain links are connected in order to pivot about the first or second axis, the respective sides of the energy guiding chain are essentially closed in every pivoting position. In this context, the outwardly cranked strap sections can overlap the inwardly cranked strap sections of the respectively adjacent side element.
In a preferred configuration, the inwardly cranked strap sections of the second chain link have projections on the end faces facing in the longitudinal direction of the chain, which engage pockets in the first chain link when the two chain links are connected to form a pivoting connection about the first axis, the pockets being located on the sides of the outwardly cranked strap sections facing the inside of the chain and opposite the inwardly cranked strap sections.
The projections of the second chain link that engage the pockets located on the inside of the side elements of the first chain link increase the stability of the articulated connection between adjacent chain links when exposed to forces acting transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chain. Furthermore, the projections can be designed as stops, which interact with corresponding stop surfaces on the inside of the pockets, in order to limit the pivoting angle in both pivoting directions about the first axis.
In another configuration, the inwardly cranked strap sections of the first chain link can have slots on one side of the center web on the end faces facing in the longitudinal direction of the chain, the purpose of which is to engage the center web of the second chain link, and the center web of the second chain link can have a slot adjacent to a side element to engage the respective end face of the adjacent side element of the first chain link, where the slots are designed such that they define limiting angles for pivoting in both directions about the second axis.
The energy guiding chain according to the invention can comprise a third chain link, the center web of which has a connector in each of the areas adjacent to its end faces for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to the respective end face about an axis perpendicular to the center web.
Under certain circumstances, it is desirable to arrange chain links in at least some sections of an energy guiding chain, which can pivot relative to one another about axes perpendicular to the center web. In these sections, the energy guiding chain can only bend in the plane perpendicular to the pivoting axes. Between these sections, the energy guiding chain can have other sections in which the chain links pivot as usual about axes perpendicular to the side elements. On the whole, this results in a chain that can move in articulated fashion in all three spatial dimensions, where the degree of curvature in a particular plane is defined by the number of chain links in an intermediate section that have pivoting axes not lying in this plane. Depending on the desired bending behavior of the chain, it can be made up of suitable sections of chain links that can pivot in different planes. The lines guided by the energy guiding chain between a stationary base and a moving consumer can thus be protected against excessive bending forces.
As a result of its construction, the third chain link can be connected to an adjacent chain link in particularly simple fashion, without requiring complicated connectors for pivoting about axes parallel to the side elements.
The third chain link can also be used as an extension link in an energy guiding chain with the first and second chain links described above, which enables the chain to bend in all three spatial dimensions. If the chain is extended by one or more of these chain links, the respective section of the chain can be designed to bend exclusively about parallel axes that are perpendicular to the center webs. In this way, the chain can be better adapted to specific, desired patterns of curvature.
The center web of this chain link is preferably of cranked design, with a first web segment cranked to one side and a second web segment cranked to the other side, where the first web segment has an opening as a connector and the second web segment has a pin as a connector, which is integrally molded on the side of the second web segment towards which the first web segment is cranked.
In addition, the side elements of the third chain link can be of cranked design and the section of the chain link in the longitudinal direction of the chain with outwardly cranked strap sections can be designed like that of the second chain link and the section with the inwardly cranked strap sections can be designed like that of the first chain link described above.
The energy guiding chain according to the invention can include a fourth chain link, the areas adjacent to the end faces of the side elements of which each have a connector for articulated connection to a chain link adjacent to the respective end face about an axis transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chain and parallel to the center web.
Such fourth chain links can also be used as extenders of an energy guiding chain made up of the first and second chain links described above. With this kind of extension, the respective section of the chain can be designed to pivot exclusively about axes parallel to the center web. This makes it possible to optimally adapt the chain to specific, desired patterns of curvature.
In a preferred configuration, the side elements of the fourth chain link are of cranked design and the section of the chain link in the longitudinal direction of the chain with outwardly cranked strap sections can be designed like that of the first chain link and the section with the inwardly cranked strap sections can be designed like that of the second chain link.